Here are 20 lesser-known or surprising bullet points about the Mahabharata that many people might not know:
- Sahadeva could foresee the future but remained silent because he had taken an oath never to speak what he knew.
- Karna was cursed that he would forget the knowledge of using Brahmastra when he needed it the most.
- Bhima married a demoness named Hidimbi, and their son Ghatotkacha played a crucial role in the Kurukshetra war.
- Krishna broke his vow of not taking up arms in the war to protect Arjuna from Bhishma’s wrath.
- Arjuna had multiple wives, including Ulupi (a Naga princess), Chitrangada (Manipura princess), and Subhadra (Krishna’s sister).
- Vidura was the incarnation of Yama, the god of death, and was born as a human due to a curse.
- Ekalavya was actually Krishna’s cousin, being the son of Devashrava, Vasudeva’s brother.
- Barbarik, the grandson of Bhima, had the power to end the war in one minute but was sacrificed before it began.
- Karna donated his divine armor (Kavacha) and earrings (Kundala) to Indra, knowing it would lead to his death.
- The Pandavas disguised themselves during their final year of exile, each in a unique role, to avoid detection.
- The war lasted only 18 days, despite involving millions of warriors.
- Ashwatthama is still said to be alive today, cursed to roam the earth for 3,000 years with festering wounds.
- Draupadi had a previous birth where she prayed to Shiva for a perfect husband and was reborn as Draupadi.
- Gandhari cursed Krishna that his Yadava clan would destroy itself, leading to the eventual end of the Yadavas.
- Bhishma could control the time of his death, thanks to the boon of Ichha Mrityu granted by his father.
- Kripacharya and Ashwatthama were the only survivors from the Kaurava side after the war.
- Vyasa, the author of Mahabharata, appears as a character in the epic and is the grandfather of Pandu and Dhritarashtra.
- Arjuna once fought Shiva unknowingly and was rewarded with the Pashupatastra for his valor.
- The dice game was rigged—Shakuni used dice made from his father’s bones, which would obey his will.
- Kauravas were born from jars, not a natural birth—Gandhari gave birth to a lump of flesh that was divided into 100 parts and incubated.
This content is written by Pandit Abhinav Sharma. To know more about Pandit cick on the below link.
